IJS covers all areas of Japan studies with a lively program of academic activities. IJS organizes an annual lecture series and regularly convenes symposia and conferences on key issues, inviting national and international specialists to share their research. An annual highlight is the Brad Richardson Memorial Lecture, which will be on October 29, 2025, see details below. IJS also organizes and co-sponsors events with numerous departments, other centers and institutes and Japan-related organizations, including lectures, film series, and exhibitions. For information on upcoming IJS academic events, visit the East Asian Studies Center's Events Calendar. 

2025 Brad Richardson Memorial Lecture: "Reflections on Professor Bradley M. Richardson and the Legacy of The Ohio State University"

• Date: October 29, 2025
• Time: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. ET
• Location: In person on Ohio State's Campus in the Thompson Library Room 165 (1858 Neil Avenue Mall)
• Aiji Tanaka, Waseda University
• Reception to follow (6-6:30 p.m.)
• Registration Link 

The Brad Richardson Memorial Fund Lectures were inaugurated in 2016 to address higher contemporary issues in Japanese studies and Japan’s international relations. Please visit the BRMF website for a full listing of past BRMLs and other supported lecture. 

IJS supports the university’s academic mission by contributing to Japan-related research and instruction in various ways. IJS administered the annual Japanese government-sponsored Japanese Language Proficiency Test from 2014 through 2019 which provided hundreds of examinees the opportunity to certify their language ability. IJS has also contributed to the field of Japanese linguistics by hosting the Journal of Japanese Linguistics for several years. Further, IJS contributes to the development of international linkages by meeting with delegations from the Japanese government and Japanese academic institutions interested in pursuing partnerships with The Ohio State University.

For information on graduate, undergraduate, and professional degree programs related to Japan, visit Degrees. For information on Japanese language study, visit Japanese Language Instruction. For information on fellowships, scholarships, and grants to support the study of Japan, visit Fellowships. For information on resources at The Ohio State University Libraries, visit Japanese Studies Resources.

The East Asian Language and Literature Department, together with other departments at Ohio State offer courses with 434 Japanese language and Japanese non-language enrollments in Autumn 2025.

IJS is home to 17 Japan specialists from departments across the university. Together they offer a range of courses involving Japanese language and disciplinary and interdisciplinary courses on Japan. Ohio State faculty have recently completed, or are currently engaged in, wide-ranging collaborative research with colleagues in Japan.

Current:(17): 

• City and Regional Planning                        1
• Comparative Studies                                   1
• DEALL                                                           9
• Earth Sciences                                             1
• History of Art                                                2
• Theatre                                                          1
• University Libraries                                      2

Leadership of IJS throughout the years

Through this campaign, we seek to continue the legacy of Dr. Bradley Richardson and the Institute for Japanese Studies that he founded by raising funds to continue the academic, educational and outreach programs he started. In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Institute of Japanese Studies (1985–2025) and the 10th anniversary of the Brad Richardson Memorial Fund, we invite 40 donors to contribute to the fund by November 30, 2025. Your support will help continue Dr. Richardson’s legacy and strengthen Japanese Studies at Ohio State for years to come.

The Institute for Japanese Studies (IJS) was founded in 1985 by the State of Ohio funds. During the early years, the IJS created three faculty positions in DEALL, one in Anthropology, and one in Business. After the cessation of state funding in 1995, major funding sources for the activities include the US Department of Education’s Title VI through EASC (through 2025), and various grants and projects. The IJS programming and activities were led by seven directors since 1985: 

• Dr. Bradley Richardson: 1985 – 2002
• Dr. Mineharu (JJ) Nakayama: 2002 – 2005 
• Dr. Richard Torrance: 2005 – 2015
• Dr. J. Marshall Unger (Interim): 2008-2009
• Dr. Hajime Miyazaki: 2015 - 2020
• Dr. Etsuyo Yuasa (Interim): Autumn 2020
• Dr. Naomi Fukumori: 2021 - present

Bradley Richardson: IJS Director 1985 – 2002: 

Who was the founding director of IJS:

Bradley M. Richardson, Professor Emeritus in Political Science, the founding Director of the Institute for Japanese Studies at The Ohio State University and a former Honorary Consul General of Japan for Ohio who continually tried to raise awareness of Japanese studies and U.S./Japan relations. 

Leadership on campus: Brad Richardson was the Founding Director of the Institute for Japanese Studies (IJS) from its inception in 1985 until 2002.   He also was the Director of the East Asian Studies Center (EASC) during 1977-1980 and 1999-2002.

Scholarly pursuits: Brad Richardson was a leading scholar in Japanese politics as well as a notable academician, lecturer and author on Japanese culture, business and politics, and received the Ohio State University Distinguished Scholar Award in 1996.  

Order of the Rising Sun Award: Brad Richardson was honored with the Order of the Rising Sun in 2008, a national decoration that the Japanese government awards to individuals who have contributed greatly to the nation and the public in politics, business, culture and the arts. Brad Richardson was recognized for his outstanding accomplishments in Ohio State’s goals in international relations, education and exchange that relate to Japan to the U.S, Ohio and local communities. 

Education: Brad Richardson received his PhD from University of California at Berkeley, his MA from Columbia University and his AB from Harvard College. His languages included Japanese, Spanish, German, and French.  At OSU, he taught Government and Politics of Japan, including comparative political behavior. He had over 20 publications, such as, “Political Parties in Japan,” and “Japan’s 1955 System and Beyond,” in Political Parties and Democracy, eds. L. Diamond and R. Gunther, John Hopkins University Press, 2002; and “Political Traditions and Political Change: The Significance of Postwar Japanese politics for Political science,” Annual Review of Political Science, (with D. Patterson) 4, 93-115, 2001.

Please visit our BRMF website for more information about:

• Dr. Mineharu (JJ) Nakayama: 2002 – 2005 
• Dr. Richard Torrance: 2005 – 2015
• Dr. J. Marshall Unger (Interim): 2008-2009
• Dr. Hajime Miyazaki: 2015 - 2020
• Dr. Etsuyo Yuasa (Interim): Autumn 2020
• Dr. Naomi Fukumori: 2021 - present